Well, as an apology to all the people, I made a little extra bit. Here it is, at the start of the chapter.

I must thank my sister! And RGNN! And all my lovely, lovely, dreadfully nice reviewers that made being sick feel much better. TT_TT I totally don't deserve you all, do I?

Now, on with the story!

On a typical morning, when Wind isn't there and Efoe and Killua are hanging around Gon's hospital room.

'Hey, Efoe?' Gon suddenly piped up.

'Huh?' Efoe looked up from their game of Chinese checkers.

'Why do you like Wind? I mean, you only knew her for half-an hour or so before you met up again with her a few days ago and...' Gon trailed off. Efoe laughed.

'That's easy! I've always wanted a strong woman to be my future wife!'

Gon and Killua stared at him.

Strong?

'Yes! My dream girl is a strong woman!' Efoe said proudly to Gon and Killua. Gon and Killua sweat-dropped as they remembered Wind opening five doors back at Killua's home.

Yep, she was strong alright. He just didn't know how strong.

And she was sick at that time too.

'And after the Hunter exam, I had nowhere to go after sending a letter to my parents so I was trekking the mountains and found the old hermit who became my nen sensei. He told me to marry a strong woman too. And then... I fell in love with Wind.'

Gon and Killua both had a HUH? REPEAT THAT PLEASE? Look on their faces.

'Huh?' both Gon and Killua said in unison.

'Well...' Then Efoe went into lecture mode, noting every single thing that led to his discovery of liking a person he had only met for half-an hour. Like how the flowers reminded him of that poison question he asked her, and how the sun kept on reminding him about strong women (though he didn't know why)...

'... then old hermit told me to go the Celestial Tower and go to at least the 200th level and win at least three games before going back. Then I met Wind again with Killua and the more I learnt about her, the more I fell in love so now!' He stopped to breathe.

'And now, I'm convinced she's the one for me!' Both Gon and Killua sweat-dropped, though Killua was more than a little irritated. This guy… dared to try steal his – wait, no, their – Wind from them and marry her after knowing her for a little over ninety hours? When they had known her for months? Killua scowled. They had priority! Not that it meant that they had priority

'Wind is the one for you?' Killua said seriously. Efoe took on a sly look at Killua's face.

'Oh. I forgot you like her too. So why do you like her?' Killua had a blank face at his comment. Then it sank in.

He blushed ten shades of red.

'I d-d-don't like her you… you… IDIOTS!' he roared. A nurse stuck her head in.

'Quiet, this is a sick-room.' Killua blushed even harder.

'Sorry...'

'But really, why do you like her?' Killua blushed even more.

'I dunno really... I really don't know... I guess I just think that everything she does is really cu–' He stopped himself. 'Wait. Why am I telling you this anyway?'

'Well, because you want to?' Gon said. Killua made a cross face.

'No, I don't want to. So stop talking about it.'

'Talking about what?' Wind asked as she stepped into the room in a timely manner.

'Wind! Killua and Efoe were just talking about how...' Killua put a hand over Gon's mouth.

'Nothing! We were just... talking about that new pineapple sherbet in that store!' Wind's eyes lit up.

'Pineapple sherbet! I haven't had that in awhile! Gon, can you get up yet?' Gon nodded, his mouth still covered. 'Then let's go!' Wind happily marched out of the room. Killua wiped his hand on his shirt and helped Gon up.

'Let's go.' He said gruffly.

Gon grinned uncharacteristically sly at Killua (making Killua panic and wonder what he had done to make Gon smile so creepily) and walked out of the room quickly, just in case a nurse caught him sneaking out.

Efoe trailed behind, a thoughtful look on his face.

Back to the fight; Present time

He was smirking.

After I had kicked him in the groin. Hard. With all my power. Which could open five of the doors of Killua's front door.

And he was smirking.

I stared at him hard.

...

Maybe he was secretly a transvestite? I shook my head immediately. No, that wasn't possible. After all, why else would he wear his revealing loincloth, if not to show off… certain things?

I closed my eyes, breathed in and turned my brain back towards the fight.

Adan had a secret up his sleeve. I knew it.

But what made him impervious to my attacks? Why could he stop my attacks in the first place? I growled and shoved my hood back on, effectively looking like a male again. The long hair was starting to get annoying, and the hood somehow always bundled my hair up out of the way.

The water streams were starting to go towards him again. I frowned and pulled on them harder and suddenly...

The water whooshed towards me. I stumbled backwards in surprise. What?

But with my stumble, I had bumped into another pillar. I watched as the pillar raced towards Adan and got absorbed. And suddenly the water stopped moving again.

What? How...?

My mind raced as I let go of the water (it didn't seem to be working). It whipped back to Adan, and his fans cheered. He blew a kiss and waved, while a blushing announcer kept on screaming.

I tuned it all out and started to think.

When had he started stopping my attacks? I snorted as I kept a steady eye on him. Well, at the start. And what happened at the start? We were talking, he got pissed off, stabbed, flew up in the air, the light floor, me bumping into a light pillar, attacking and him stopping the attack.

I frowned and went through it again.

Something in that sequence made him able to resist my attacks. As proven when the water had rushed towards me (probably because time ran out or something). Some nen specialty maybe?

It must've cropped up after the light floor bit, or he would've stopped me flying up into the air...

Maybe when I bumped into the light pillar? Then after he absorbed it, he could use some of my attacks as well... or my abilities?

That sounded more like it.

I put a wary eye on the light pillars as well as I backed out, trying not to be noticed.

'AND LOOK! WIND SEEMS TO BE BACKING AWAY FROM ADAN WITH HER FACE HIDDEN AGAIN! DOES SHE HAVE A PLAAAAAAAN?'

I cursed in my brain.

Damn annoying announcer.

Adan had his smirk on again, and he looked at me.

'Oh, so the little girly has a plan now?'

I deigned him no reply and jumped out of the ring. He raised his eyebrow in surprise.

'WHAT? WIND HAD JUMPED OUT OF THE RING! WHAT IS SHE DOING?'

'Wind – out by own volition. If you don't come back into the ring in ten seconds, Adan will get two points. 1... 2... 3...'

I stared.

Time, I needed time. There was a time limit; I knew that at least, even if everything else was just a bunch of theories. If I touch two light pillars at the same time, would it add on to the time limit?

Naah, don't think so. If it did, it would've probably lasted longer.

'8...9...' I hopped back onto the stage and started running into every light pillar I met.

If there was a time limit and the time wasn't extended, I would probably benefit if all these annoying light pillars out of the way. Then I didn't need to worry about him stealing my power every single time I bumped into one.

Although, I mused, it would probably be worse, as he get to use all his techniques. But better than having his techniques and using my power right?

I made sure to run into every single one, to everyone's confusion. The announcer was still screaming (I wonder... do they protect their voice-boxes with nen? Maybe that's how they can scream all the time non-stop for who knows how long...) and the fans were still cheering.

...

They'd been cheering for so long (ever since the start of the match) that I secretly suspected that they might have nen-protected voice boxes as well. How else could they sustain and increase their screaming volume?

I laughed as I realised that all the people who weren't fans were cheering for me.

As I touched the last light pillar and it zapped back towards Adan, he had a strangely solemn face.

'How...' he started.

'Huh?' I must have the most intelligent responses of all time.

'How... can you have this power?' I blinked in confusion.

'Err...' Yep. I was definitely a genius.

He snapped his fingers. And there, on the very tip of his finger, was a small orb.

No, not an orb, a small black piece of nothing so obsolete that it wasn't exactly black either. Maybe it was so black it appears non-black. And now I'm not making sense. Moving on…

How can you describe nothingness? I sure well couldn't. Just like how you feel black when you go across dimensions (hey, got used to it after the first few times), and how sometimes when I eat peach it tastes like pineapple... (Or maybe it was my brain's pineapple cravings).

It was just… nothingness.

Nothing.

Nada.

Nil.

Zilch.

Void.

That type of thing. Adan stared at it in wonder.

'Now you've really got me thinking, girl.' I raised my eyebrows. I got promoted from little boy, to little girly to girl now huh? 'What did you exchange for powers as great as yours?'

He was staring at the piece of... floating on his finger. I inwardly noted how long it had been to see how long his stolen abilities lasted.

Though... what was that?

I made a disturbed face at his staring. It reminded me of seedy looking old men looking at porn magazines...

'Umm...'

'How can one as young as you get such powers?' He stared at me now, still with the pervy-old-man look on his face. I stared back slightly creeped out. 'How, I ask, when I've only created my technique after six years of non-stop study. How?'

'How old are you, Adan?' I asked randomly. He ignored my question.

'How?'

'Well... I don't really want to tell you.' The area around his eyes tightened.

'Very well... I just might need to beat it out of you then.' I shifted my stance, bringing the staff in front of me. I missed those little wings sorely.

'Bring it on.' He started raising his arms melodramatically into the air. I think I started to hear orchestras and a dramatic organ playing... 'Just wait a bit.'

Then I hopped off the stage again. The music immediately stopped.

'WHAT? WIND HAS HOPPED OUT OF THE RING AGAIN? DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT SHE'S THINKING?'

I scowled at the noise and rubbed my sore ears.

I need to remember to bring ear-plugs next time...

I took off my cloak, showing the condensed moon-beam dress I had on. They all gasped.

'WOW! WHAT MATERIAL IS THAT? IF I HAD THAT MATERIAL IN THE...' I tuned out. They don't know the pain of wearing this. They would probably collapse just by having a ribbon of it around their necks.

I unwrapped the bandages on my arms then swung them around a bit. I noted ruefully that I was starting to get tan lines (do I call them a bandage tan?) and took off the dress as well as my cloak. Then I put down my staff.

I hopped a bit, trying not to jump too high.

I've never felt so light! Laughing, I adjusted the t-shirt I had on underneath, with the knee-length pants. Then I jumped back on stage, just when the person yelled '6!'

Adan had a raised eyebrow.

'Why are you stripping?' I snorted at him (while avoiding looking at his flapping loincloth at all costs)

'They're weights. You want to try fighting seriously with them on?' I retorted, also ruefully noting I should get a hair-tie.

Wait! I remember having a hair tie in my pocket somewhere! I started digging around my pockets, to the frustrations of Adan.

'I'm not going to wait for you anymore!' He raised his arm again starting a chant, and the orchestra music started up again (where does the music come from? Stupid anime effects...). My face lit up. Found my hair tie!

I tied my hair up in a sloppy ponytail (that reached my waist. Should I cut my hair?) Just when Adan finished his chant.

'A field of falling lightning!'

I blanched. That did not sound good.

A choir suddenly sprang up out of nowhere and sang chords that sounded really... like it was doomsday or something. I gulped and choked on my own spit.

Smart, real smart.

Then suddenly a field of lightning bolts seem to fall straight into the ring. It was going to reach me in two seconds... one second...

It was a split second thing really. My life was not flashing before my eyes. Instead, I had this really weird image of Jeb in my brain that time I told him I couldn't control Earth properly...

'But Jeb, I can't get the friggin earth thing correct!'

He stared at me over the edge of his magazine (with special fire-proof pages, he told me later).

'Don't stare at me like that! The Earth just seems so much less flowy and so solid that I don't know how to move it!'

'Then how do you expect to control nothingness?' He asked me as he flipped the page and started reading again. I blinked.

'Uh, Jeb, I'm asking how to control earth, not nothingness. How can you control nothingness anyway if it's nothing?'

He suddenly jerked.

'What? Did I just tell you to control void?'

'Err...'

'Forget I said anything about it! Nothing! Forget! Forget, forget! Now, what did you want to know about?' I glared at him.

'You haven't been listening at all?'

'No?' He asked.

'Wrong answer Jeb.' I walked towards him and snatched the magazine away. '101 ways to cheat in chess...' I read aloud. 'So... Jeb, what's this?' He sweat-dropped nervously.

'A hobby?'

I glared daggers at him.

I remember now. I had been so angry at him that I (nearly) forgot all about it. The lightning bolts seemed to suddenly go into slow-mo, as if giving me time to think.

Anime effects. They never stop.

But going back on topic.

Earth can ground lightning. That much I know. But my earth control was crappy as it is, and I haven't even started to control sand yet, let alone stone (which was the only earth related thing I could think of in this stadium) so that option was out.

But that thing Adan did.

The nothing/void thingy. I knew what Jeb had blabbed out was related to this.

But how did he control it?

The lightning was about thirty centimetres from my face now. If was slowly inching closer, though by the looks of the faces of the people in the crowd, it looked like it was rushing at me.

Strange, how time varies from person to person.

He had... snapped his fingers.

I groaned. I had never been able to snap my fingers once in my whole entire life.

Come on, please work... At least today!

I closed my eyes shut.

And did the snapping motion with my fingers. I waited for the sound that you make when you snap your fingers successfully with baited breath.

It didn't work.

Damn.

My eyes widened in realisation.

Come on, come on, come on!

I did the snapping motion for a few more times.

Nope, no, no, no...

More friction, I need more friction.

The lightning was two centimetres from my face. I crouched down so that I had a bit more time.

I hope the anime effects keep working (I never would've thought I would say that).

I snapped my fingers again. No sound. Again. No sound. Again. No sound. And again!

This time it worked, and I suddenly had a tiny little ball of voidness on my finger. But what do I do with this? I looked up at the lightning bolts. Only five would reach me/or be able to hurt me. I reached up and touched one of the lightning bolts with my little void ball. The lightning got sucked in and suddenly...

It wasn't there.

I grinned in delight and immediately did it to the other four.

And suddenly... time sped up again.

The crowd stood up, roaring as they tried to see what had happened to me. The whole ring was stained black, including my clothes miraculously. I thought the anime effects would make it clean or something...

'OH, IS WIND STILL ALIVE? ADAN STANDS UP STRAIGHT AND TALL! WHERE IS WIND?' She screamed. A vein in my forehead throbbed and I stood up. A cheer went through the crowd while the fans booed me.

'AND WIND STAAAANDS UP TO THE EXCITED CHEER OF THE CROOOOOWD!' the announcer screamed out. I cricked my neck, the ball of nothingness gone from my finger the moment I didn't concentrate on it.

'I'm tired of this. Let's get this over and done with.'

'I agree.'

He settled into a fighting stance. I just stood there, not having formal martial arts training. I bounced on my heels, getting ready for whatever attack he might throw at me.

He lunged forward, his loincloth still also miraculously intact and flapping. I sighed.

Why, oh WHY couldn't he just wear normal pants like every other human being there is? I am utterly revolted by the many sightings I have seen in the past thirty minutes. Revolted!

I dodged his attack and let loose a punch. He caught it, and used the momentum to try and flip me; instead, I kicked the small of his back with my foot with all my strength. He punched me in the face; I kneed him in the groin again. He elbowed me in the ribs and caught me in a headlock. I put my leg up and jammed my foot where his knee was. I heard a crack.

To those who didn't understand the last bit, here's a titbit of information for you.

When a person gets held in a headlock or a bear hug, most people try and run away and struggle without ever thinking to use their lower body. I read that in a psychology book. So I lifted my foot and jammed him in the knee. He was facing forwards, and I jammed it backwards...

So you can imagine the result.

'AAAAAH! ADAN'S KNEE JUST BROKE!' The announcer announced worriedly. I snorted as I turned around.

Yep, definitely a fan-girl.

'Two critical hits. One down. Four successful attacks. Adan gets five points while Wind gets seven.' The judge said. I raised an eyebrow at him, surprised. He saw all that? Amazing. I inwardly clapped at his awesome eye skills.

Then I looked at the score-board.

I hadn't been listening to the judge's comments (I tuned him out with all the other screaming going on) and started at what I saw.

Adan and I were both on a tie. On ten. The highest mark indicating victory.

'Wha–?' I started

'AND THERE IS A TIIIIIIE FOLKS! WE'VE HAVEN'T SEEN A TIE ON THE 200TH LEVEL SINCE FORTY YEARS AGO!' The announcer screamed. I stared at her incredulously.

She was still screaming? After what, thirty minutes?

I shook my head. Maybe her nen did protect her voice-box or something. But what about the match?

'Tie. Both parties will get one victory for this match. This match is officially OVER!'

I gawked. That was it?

What was with the anti-climatic ending?

Adan groaned on the floor. I went up to him and crouched down.

'You hurt?' He glared at me.

'Obviously.'

'Want help?'

'No.' I frowned. What a jerk. He sat up, and put his hand over his knee where it was bent forwards. I grimaced. That was pretty gruesome.

'Sorry about that.'

'It was a fight wasn't it?' His face hardened, as if concentrating a lot on something, and suddenly, I felt a burst of nen.

The knee just was... healed. As if it was never broken in the first place. My first experience with awesome healing nen.

Heaven knows that I was going to see a lot of it in the future. But then, I didn't know that yet.

'Wow.' He raised an eyebrow at me.

'You're really a newbie aren't you? How did you manage to tie with me?' I sniffed at his high-ego talk.

'Not telling.' I stood up and started walking away from him. He stood up as well, and called out at me.

'Wait, I just want to know one thing.' I turned around with an irritated look on my face while still walking towards the pile of clothes I had left behind.

'What?'

'How did you get such... power at such a young age? What requirement did you make?' I shrugged at him. He had been a worthy opponent... if I ignored the lower parts of him.

'Life.' I answered simply, knowing he would understand. His eyebrows shot up, hit mouth gaped wide.

'What? Life? Are you crazy?' He jogged over to me. 'And you're?'

'Twelve.' He made a grimace.

'I nearly got beaten by a twelve year old kid.'

'Yup.'

'But Life! Are you crazy?' I jumped off the stage towards my clothes. People were starting to trickle away from the stadium now that the fight had ended.

'Yup. Life.' He reached the pile of clothes before me and attempted to lift my dress.

'Here...' then he tried to lift it. A look came over his face as he lifted it without much struggle. I gave him points for that. 'And you wore this?'

'Yup.' I took it from him and slipped it on again, the knee-length helm brushing again familiarly at my knees and the weight once again settled around my shoulders. I sat down and started wrapping the bandages around my arms.

'Are those bandages the same...?'

'Yup.'

Ha, I seemed to be saying Yup a lot. He looked amazed. He clapped me on the back, his loin-cloth fluttering. I averted my eyes.

'Well,' he flipped his hair back, 'I have a newfound respect for you.' He winked at me sleazily. I started wrapping my other arm in a non-committed way. 'But I have fans waiting outside so... ja!'

'Bye.' I said in a deadpan voice. But he had already gone. I shook my head and picked up my staff.

'Wind!' I heard Gon's voice before I saw him.

'Gon!' I turned around and smiled at him. 'Did you like my match?'

'Yes!' he bounced happily, and his sling bounced too. Then he winced. I instantly fretted.

'Gon, you haven't healed completely yet! Stop being so active!' He pouted.

'But your match was so exciting...'

'How are you able to watch this match anyway? Didn't Wing-sensei stop you or something?'

'No...' He had this crushed puppy-dog look on his face. I looked at the face and wavered.

'Gaah, you'll be the death of me one day Gon.' I smiled as I ruffled his hair. We were the same height now, though Killua exceeded us by a (mere I tell you! MERE) three inches.

'Amazing match Wind!' Zushi bounced up and down much like Gon, unlike his normal serious self.

'You nearly gave me a heart-attack when those lightning bolts came down!' Efoe scolded as he gave me a head-lock. I scowled and shrugged him off me.

'Good job.' Killua said simply. I looked at him.

No more? I had been hoping for more than that...

'Nice fight Wind. We'll have a talk next morning about it.' Wing-sensei said, as he patted me on the head once. I smiled up at him and put the hood of my cloak up.

'Well, he was strong.'

'Yes, very. You did a good job Wind.'

'Thank you all! Though...' I stared at my staff sadly. 'The wings were broken.'

'I'll see if I can fix them for you then.' Wing said kindly. My face lit up.

'Really?' I love you Wing-sensei!' He laughed his genial laugh and walked away, Zushi trailing behind him waving back at us.

'See you next morning then.'

'Hai, sensei!'

We four watched them walk away, and then Efoe turned towards us.

'What about a celebration party, peoples?' Gon grinned.

'Yeah! Let's drag Zushi over too! Zushi, wait up!' He ran forward.

'Hey Gon, mind your injuries!' I raced after him as well. I heard Killua and Efoe following close behind.

I smiled as I whacked Gon's shoulder after catching up. Life was good.

I can't wait to see Dusky's reaction about my first win...

Dusky's view

Dusky stared, hidden by a copse of trees, at the two figures seated in the clearing in front of her.

'You know a way for me to become strong?' Kurapika practically yelled. 'Please master, tell me the way!'

Their master groaned. 'Only when I tell you there is a way for you to become strong that you start calling me master. Very well, listen up.'

Dusky wanted to jump out, scream no, and stop the teaching. But she couldn't. Something was holding her back, but she didn't know what.

Depression. This was something Kurapika had somehow wound up in, though she didn't notice it until their master had told her, since he had always smiled around her, and acted normally.

Yeah, he had acted normally.

Their master had also told her about the many things that Kurapika had started to have trouble in, about his sleepless nights just to train in his nen and perfect it, going through the research that they had gotten to find a way for him to get stronger.

Why had she got that from their master? Didn't he trust her?

Maybe he just didn't want her to become worried and endanger herself. Yeah, that's it. Kurapika was just worried about her.

Or maybe he was starting to think she was just a useless obstacle.

But Kurapika always smiled around her. He always appreciated her presence! He always wanted to know her opinion on things, and he said he liked her company!

Maybe they're all lies. Didn't he lie to her already, when he said that he was sleeping well?

No, Kurapika wouldn't lie to her. He trusted her. He said he trusted her, with Leorio, and Gon, and Wind, and Killua... He wouldn't lie to her, would he? He just told her he was sleeping well because he didn't want her to lose her sleep that was all...

But revenge is his first priority, above everything else. He might've lied to her all this time and she wouldn't have known it.

But she would have surely noticed! She was one of his best friends after all! But she hadn't realised when he had lied to her then, why would she now?

He's a good actor. He's a natural liar. You know he's smart, he's practically genius. He can twist your little mind around anything and you wouldn't have known it...

Dusky tried to shake those thoughts out of her mind. She tried to ignore the murmurings outside the protective copse of trees. Kurapika had officially started to walk down the road he had chosen. She didn't want him to go!

'He trusts me, he said so, with Wind and Gon and Leorio and Killua. He said so, and I trust him. He was just worried about me, so he didn't tell me about his research. He just forgot that he said that we would always search together, that's all...' she murmured to herself, comforting her-self.

But she doesn't know does she? He might be lying. But why would he lie?

Didn't he trust all of his friends? He said so, didn't he? Didn't he trust... her?

But now...

Did she trust him?

Newest current chapter! Haha, did you all like the Dusky insert? I felt she was a little neglected lately, so I made a little bit.

Please give me all your opinions, big, small or just plain old encouragement (anonymous reviews are accepted by the way, just in case you didn't all know). I look forward to seeing you all next week!